swallowfield :: jennifer judd-mcgee

stress relief

i've been neck-deep in all things school auction for the past few weeks, and when i get stressed or overwhelmed, i like to draw. i think drawing is probably a better plan than some other avenues i could go down for stress-relief, so i'm okay with it. needless to say, there are many, many little scraps of drawings around here right now. :) 

this little pattern is a direct result of auction related stress.  these aren't colors i play with often, but i like them here.  i want to do it in a silvery gray colorway too, sometime. when the auction is over, and i can think straight again. :) er, right now. i'm such an instant gratification kinda gal.

i'll pop in here and there this week, and be back next week with some fresh new stuff that is totally unrelated to school auctions. i promise.

ps// i have spied some teeny patches of grass here and there, and the beginnings of some crocuses in a few sunny spots. hooray! (and the extra hour of light isn't so bad either.)

pps// i am having a three print special over at etsy, if you're interested.

dedicated to the ones i love: betsy thompson

to wrap up my week of artists i love, i thought i would share a local portland maine friend whose talents really wow me. 

i'd like to introduce you to the super-talented betsy thompson : she's an illustrator, mixed media collage artist, and a homeschooling mom of two sweet little girls. she is also very smart and very, very funny. i am in love with her bold use of color and + her line drawings.  she did all of the illustrations for amanda blake soule's forthcoming book, the creative family, (i've seen them and they're lovely!) and she has plans to illustrate a childrens book.  i'm absolutely smitten with everything she makes.  {{all images courtesy of betsy thompson and used with permission, except the one i secretly snapped of her from behind while she discussed her lovely work at nahcotta's enormous tiny art show last month. thanks betsy!}}

checking in, quickly

i am having a lot of fun talking about artists i love this week. i think so much of the time with blogs and the internet i'm guilty of "just looking" and forgetting to comment and tell anyone how much i love something i see, so this purposeful effort every once in awhile to really talk about what inspires me is a valuable exercise.  also, i think no matter how big a blog gets, the writer/creator still appreciates comments and feedback, because it lets them know people are actually reading + thinking about what they see.  what do you think?

it's been a crazy busy week around here, and next week promises to look the same. our school auction is coming right up and i've got a hand in much of it, so my posts might be sparse-ish. i think i mentioned awhile back that one of my kids' classrooms (3rd grade) was working on a garland of peace flags for their live auction project - i've been printing their work onto fabric and i want to share with you my favorite peace flag - isn't it great?  i love eight and nine year olds. they're so clear about what they're into and not into.

each kid's design will be stitched onto fun fabric (a lot of stuff i got from superbuzzy + purl awhile back) and strung together with bias tape, garland-style.

in other news, there is a %*$#&-ton of water in my basement due to extreme amounts of snow this winter and some clogged storm drains. the basement is where my art studio is, so that's been fun.   reason # one million i am so ready for spring!

see you back here tomorrow with another artist i love. happy day to you!

dedicated to the ones i love, day three: abby glassenberg

i've been a big fan of abby glassenberg's for awhile, via her flickr stream, her etsy shop and her blog, while she naps. we have some definite commonalities in our lives - chiefly, i feel an affinity for her because i know we're both trying to carve out time to work with small people around who require a lot of attention, and we share a love of vintage bits that show up in our work here and there.

her soft bird sculptures, with intricate and exacting pattern work in the wings + meticulous attention to every single other detail, knock my socks off and make me feel all wanty, even though i've vowed to carefully consider each item i bring into my life this year. these are works of art she makes; things you'd want to have around your house is a place of honor for a lifetime, and then pass on as a special gift for someone else's lifetime.

i first saw her work in person at three graces gallery last year, and this week i have been super thrilled to see abby get some well-deserved press from all over the place for her part in an upcoming group show at artstream gallery in new hampshire. susan at artstream even did a podcast with her, which i loved listening to.  she is sharing the show with some other great + talented artists: alana hennessy, tara hogan (whose work i love from the enormous tiny art shows at nahcotta) and daryl berger.

good luck with the show, abby, and thanks so much for allowing me to share your beautiful work on my blog. (all images by abby glassenberg and used with permission.)

dedicated to the ones i love, day two: heather smith jones + friends

i forget how it was that i landed on heather smith jones' amazing artwork for the first time, but i can tell you i literally gasped out loud at my computer monitor when i saw her absolutely terrific wallpaper pinhole project. i think it is easily among the most gorgeous work i have ever seen. her paintings and drawings also blow me away.

heather is a multi-talented artist who also takes incredible photos and is keeping herself quite busy with several collaborative projects, both of which are lovely and inspiring.

the noticing project {an image a day in 2008} is a collaboration between heather and alicia alferman (otherwise known as the mayfly.)  you can also visit the noticing project's etsy shop to purchase selected images.

inspired is a new collaboration between heather and jennifer causey of simply photo + simply breakfast.  i am really looking forward to see what they come up with. i expect it will be amazing.

 

images and photos by heather smith jones, used with permission. thanks heather!

dedicated to the ones i love - danna ray

this week's posts are going to be dedicated to things i think are beautiful, and the people who make them.

first up, danna ray, otherwise known around etsy as groundwork - i got to see her lovely work in person when we were in the enormous tiny art show together last month at nahcotta, and i fell in love with it instantly. i can't wait to see what she gets up to this year - i am smitten with everything she makes. here is one particular favorite (photo by danna ray, used with permission):